Techbargains Reviews

At the end of June, Hollywood released the third Transformers movie, which featured the continual war between Autobots and Decepticons raging across the Earth once again. But the battle hasn't been solely confined to the movie screen, at least as far as Razer is concerned. The acclaimed gaming peripheral maker recently released a Transformers-themed Collector's Edition line of products, covering laptop sleeves, mice and gaming surfaces. But are these devices "more than meets the eye" when it comes to giving you an edge with your gaming?

We decided to check out two of the products in the Collector's Edition, the branded Razer DeathAdder Bumblebee mouse and the Razer Vespula Gaming surface. We'll get into the pros and cons of these items in a second, but here are some of the specs and features of both products:

Razer DeathAdder Bumblebee

3500dpi Razer Precision 3.5G infrared sensor

Ergonomic right handed design

1000Hz Ultrapolling/1ms response

Five programmable Hyperesponse buttons

On the fly sensitivity adjustment

Always On Mode

Seven foot lightweight braided fiber cable

Razer Vespula Gaming Surface:

Non-slip, anti-reflective, abrasion resistant hard coat

Speed surface for faster mouse movements

Control surface for precise mouse movements

Measurements: 300mm (length) x 240mm (width) x 4mm (height)

What We Liked (DeathAdder):

Easy To Install: The mouse works like any basic USB mouse as soon as you plug it in. But adding the extra customization functions is incredibly easy to do; after plugging it in, you download the driver from Razer's website and install. In less than five minutes, everything was completely set up and ready to play. It couldn't be simpler.

Customizable Buttons and Profiles: The DeathAdder lets you assign different commands for each button on the mouse, and comes with five separate profiles that will allow you to set specific macros for individual buttons. You can also adjust the polling rate and the dpi of the mouse, as well as the scroll wheel sensitivity. Virtually everything is customizable with the mouse, and making these tweaks takes only a few seconds.

Extremely Responsive Mouse: The DeathAdder is one of those devices that was built to be responsive during single and multiplayer matches. In the games that I tested, the mouse was unbelievably accurate and responsive to the slightest movement. In fact, I found myself having to turn the sensitivity down for some games because it was so responsive that the game play became too twitchy for my liking. The same can be said with the buttons. The left and right mouse buttons are very large but easy to press with the slightest amount of pressure, and the side buttons are wide and fit your thumb nicely without needing a ton of force to trigger. Finally, the mouse wheel is a bit larger than the standard wheel; it may not produce a significant amount of resistance when scrolled, but it's easy to press in when you need it.

Comfortable Feel: For gamers that have large hands (like myself), the DeathAdder is an excellent device. The mouse felt natural sliding into the palm of my hand, and although it's a bit lighter than many other gaming mice on the market, it didn't feel insubstantial or ineffective like other mice that don't have the option of external weights.

Look: Most mice come in plain black or grey colors, which are somewhat boring. The Transformers DeathAdder edition comes in one of four separate colors; the Bumblebee edition has a slick melding of the Autobot's yellow and black paint job. It's also branded with the Transformer logo and an Autobot insignia, which pulses with a yellow light along with the mouse button. It's a nice effect that makes the device seem completely run by Energon from the original cartoon series.

What We Didn't Like (DeathAdder):

Glossy Exterior: The glossy exterior of the mouse is rather slick. Curiously, it doesn't make your fingers slide off the mouse, but it winds up easily picking up dirt and oil from your fingers, making it feel a bit sticky after use. I found myself cleaning it several times after multiplayer matches. It's not a major problem, but it is something to be aware of.

No Transformer Bells and Whistles: Apart from the logo and the Autobot icon, there are no bells and whistles that really make this stand out from other DeathAdders in Razer's product line. It would've been awesome if there were some kind of unique LED lights, sound effects or other elements that made the mouse seem as though it used the Transformers license to the fullest. As it stands now, the mouse is a skinned DeathAdder with only cosmetic adjustments.

What We Liked (Vespula):

Dual Sides: The Vespula comes with two separate sides: The Autobot side, which is covered by Optimus Prime striking a heroic pose, is the speed side, designed for fast mouse movements. The Decepticon side, which has Megatron in a menacing stance, is the control side for precise mouse movements. Both sides of the pad are effective for mouse movements, and it's definitely up to the user's preference to see which side works best for them. Personally, I found the control side to be useful for sniping in shooters, whereas the speed side was very useful in RTS games.

Surface Quality: The entire gaming device, regardless of the side selected, is constructed from a solid piece of hard plastic that feels extremely durable and sturdy. It also comes with four rubber feet in each corner of the pad in case you choose to use the wrist rest and rubber base that it comes with.

What We Didn't Like (Vespula):

Wrist Rest: Most times, if you're using a dedicated gaming pad with a gel wrist rest, you expect it to be comfortable. This pad was very hard and unyielding, making the use of it uncomfortable. On top of that, the branded Transformers logo on the wrist rest started to rub off after one day of use, and was virtually missing two days in.

Our Verdict:

Razer's Transformers branded DeathAdder and Vespula may be licensed versions of the company's pre-existing theme free products, but don't let that fool you; both devices are quality items that can easily give a user an edge with their gaming. The wrist rest of the mouse pad could be softer, and there could be a few more Transformers-related items with the mouse, which would make them stand out even more. But, those problems aside, these are two items that would fit nicely in any PC gamer's arsenal.